Psalm 30 A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.
King David built himself a beautiful house in which to dwell when he was king of Israel and living in Jerusalem. He felt uncomfortable that he had a house but that the LORD only had a tabernacle or tent in which to dwell, and he wanted to build a massive temple to be the house of the LORD. But God did not allow him to do so as He said that David, as a warrior, had too much blood on his hands. But he was allowed to gather materials, which he did, so that his son, Solomon, could build a temple or house of the LORD when he reigned as king over Israel.
Verse 1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
To extol means to highly praise. Here King David is praising the LORD for raising him up from being a shepherd boy to being a king of an nation, and for protecting him from all his enemies who would have delighted in seeing him killed. This protection was recorded to have been started when David successfully killed with his bare hands two predators of the flock of sheep he was keeping for his father. Then David was protected and successful in slaying the giant, Goliath, and in bringing victory to King Saul and his army. This protection and his gradual ascension to the position of a king is recorded in the historical books of Kings and Chronicles.
Application: Like King David, Christian believers today need to extol or highly praise the LORD Jesus Christ for the salvation He has provided by the shedding of His blood 2000 years ago and for the very fact that they are alive and breathing. Scripture states that God holds our breath in His hands. We are only alive because He wants it that way. Every day should be a blessing and an opportunity to see how the LORD will provide and protect His children.
Verses 2-3 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
King David’s life was one of constant danger and battles, both physically and spiritually. He would get down or depressed on occasion when facing tremendous difficulties and challenges, but he would then have a talk with the LORD and cry out to him for help and then praise Him for the help that he had faith to believe would come. He would then have his spirit and soul refreshed through that prayer to the LORD. He would be healed in his spirit and soul.
King David is saying in verse 3 that he was as good as dead but that the LORD saved him. There were many times that his life was in jeopardy from King Saul personally and from King Saul’s army. There were many times in battle that he could have been destroyed by the enemy, but the LORD kept him from harm. David knew he was alive because of his LORD and Saviour and not by his own ability as a warrior.
Application: Answers to prayers begin in the spirit. The body is flesh and bone and the life of the body is the blood. “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Genesis 9:4 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11 It is the blood of Jesus Christ that makes atonement for sin and that heals the soul. The soul is the inner man, that part of mankind that cannot be seen but that makes up the mind, the will, and the emotions within the body of flesh. Just as the flesh has life from the blood, the soul has life from the Spirit of God. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7 When the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Ghost, comes to dwell in a converted believer, that Holy Spirit merges with the believer’s spirit and gives eternal life to the soul of that individual so that even though the body eventually dies, the believer never dies. So King David in the verses above did not say ”thou has brought up my body or flesh from the grave”, but he clearly penned ‘soul’ because in order to stay alive physically, the body or outer man and the soul or inner man have to be healed and in line with God and with His Spirit dwelling inside. Unbelievers live without the Holy Ghost, but they are on a path of destruction both physically and spiritually and when they become physically ill, unless medical science can help them, they will die physically and their soul will go to Hell. God will remove His breath from them. So when asking for healing, King David gives the example here and in many of his psalms. The believer must have faith enough to cry out to the LORD. This is not a quick, “LORD help me and heal my disease”, but is a sincere and frequent cry of desperation on the part of the believer. But the believer must also have his/her soul healed and whole. There can be no anger towards God for the sickness, no unforgiveness towards others, no impatience, no hardness of heart, no failure to read the Word and to pray, and no sin. There needs to be faith, eager anticipation of a miracle, and continual praising and thankfulness even for the sickness or disease. Why? Because God inhabits the praises of His people. That is where He can be found. So praising and worshiping the LORD brings healing to the soul through and from the Spirit and then the body or flesh can follow. Think about it.
Verse 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
As a musician and a vocalist, King David had a heart for music and therefore wrote so many of the Psalms for generations to read and love. He knew that music could calm the soul and bring joy to self and to others. It is through his music that he praised and gave thanks to the LORD God. He states here that one needs to sing to the LORD and give thanks and to remember that God is separate from mankind and therefore deserves praise and worship.
Verse 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Is it possible to anger God? Yep. Did King David anger God? Yep. Just read the account of Uriah the Hittite in the books of Samuel and the Kings. David’s sin was huge on a man-made scale in that he lusted after a woman, got her pregnant, and then set up her husband, a soldier in David’s army, so that he would be killed in battle. David’s sin dwarfs most Christian believers’ sins, again on a man-made scale, but in God’s eyes sin is sin and there is no degree of greater or lessor sin. So all sin needs repentance and the asking of forgiveness from the LORD. But King David found out that God’s anger was short lived and that He readily and speedily forgave all of David’s transgressions so that he was seen by the LORD as a man after His own heart. He was a type of Christ and his life had a lasting impression and influence on all the generations that followed and still impacts people today through his songs and poetry and prophecy. No man or woman in the Old Testament has impacted people more than David, the servant king, because it is so easy to relate to him and to his difficulties, and his victories, and his emotions.
Application: Unless you have a job where you work the night shift, most people worry more and experience sleeplessness during the night hours when it is dark outside and other people are asleep so they are alone. You may have experienced the loss of a loved one or a beloved pet or a job or a relationship, and during the day you put on a ‘good face’ so that others do not know how your are feeling. But when alone at night, the sorrow can be dwelt upon in your mind and the tears can flow without embarrassment. The act of mourning is easier to accomplish at night. Worries are easier to think about and to seek solutions to the problems at night. And the LORD can be cried out to at night as there are less distractions. So, just as King David often sought the LORD in prayer at night, He should be the ‘go to’ for any Christian believer who is experiencing problems of any kind. After spending time with the LORD in prayer and the reading of Scripture, a peace will descend from on high and things will seem so much better in the morning.
Verses 6-7 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
The Hebrew word translated as “prosperity” is “shelev” and it means prosperity or ease. So the word does not just refer to being prosperous or successful in material or financial terms, but it can mean to be successful so that one is at ease, free from worries with an absence of difficulties. The Hebrew word translated as “moved” is “mowt” and it means to totter, shake, slip, be moved, or be overthrown. King David is saying that he was sure that where he was in life would always remain. He was king, he was wealthy, he was powerful, he succeeded against his enemies, and it was all because of the LORD, so why would it not continue to be so in the future? But then the relationship David had with the LORD cooled and David was not able to feel secure in his position with God. He states that he was troubled, the Hebrew word “bahal” meaning disturbed, alarmed, terrified, anxious, or afraid. He sensed that he was no longer in favor with the LORD and he needed to do something to rectify the situation.
Verses 8-10 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
King David cried to the LORD and asked for mercy to be shown to him. He pointed out that should he die and be buried he could no longer profit the LORD with his testimony, his praises, and the declarations of the truth that he received from the LORD that enabled him to write his psalms and to bring forth prophecy that was a witness to people.
Application: The Christian walk is a journey and like all journeys, it can be fraught with times of hardships or difficulties: times of doubt, times of sin, times of feeling like God is no where to be found, emotional upheaval and feelings of depression and failure. The normal response is often to withdraw from the presence of God and from his people instead of moving toward the presence of God and His people. When King David felt that God was hiding His face from him, he did not retreat in his walk with the LORD, but he moved forward by crying out to the LORD in desperation with the anticipation that his cries would be heard. He sought the LORD and did not hesitate to humble himself and ask for help.
Verses 11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Psalm 30)
King David’s nighttime weeping and sorrow was turned to joy as he felt once again the presence of the LORD and then knew that everything would be alright. He would sing praises to the LORD and not be silent and he did so by writing this Psalm.